UCFB media students feel the excitement of match day at QPR’s Loftus Road

UCFB and Championship side Queens Park Rangers have kicked-off an exciting new partnership which will see students gain valuable match day media skills

QPR welcomed BA (Hons) Sports Business & Sports Broadcasting students to Loftus Road for their under-23s’ fixture with Colchester United.

The game saw students given access all areas in an environment similar to that of a first team match day, within which they immersed themselves in the world of sport media and broadcasting. From presenting pitch side before kick-off to interviewing under-23s manager Paul Hall and the entire Elite Development Squad, students were able to give the match full media coverage.

On the pitch Rangers provided a five-goal thriller for the students to report on, running out 3-2 winners thanks to goals from Ebere Eze and two from Gianni Crichlow.

Ryan Manning also featured, just weeks before his breakthrough into Ian Holloway’s senior side.

Andy Watkins, QPR’s multimedia manager, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the UCFB students to Loftus Road earlier this season. It’s something which we’ve been planning with UCFB for a while, so it was brilliant to see those plans come to fruition.

“Whilst we know the experience is valuable for the students, it is also a useful learning tool for our academy players and preparing them for life in the media spotlight. We hope this is just the start of an exciting new partnership which is beneficial for the both of us.”

UCFB will be working closely with QPR to provide feedback on the initiative to both students and players, who all gained invaluable media training from the exercise.

Mick Kelly, programme leader at UCFB, said: “On behalf of all the students involved, I just want to say a huge thank you to Paul Hall and the staff at QPR for an amazing experience. The students’ confidence has soared as a result – to say that they were excited afterwards is an understatement.

“They’ve taken a huge step towards achieving their goal of a career in the sports broadcasting industry, and they’re following Ryan Manning’s progress in the first team with interest.”

Mick added: “Now they can’t wait for their next under 23 match when they will be testing their broadcasting skills once more, in a real football match environment. Pre-production meetings are taking place as I speak.”